The More Things Change,The More They Stay The Same
by wjobsessed
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and despite the plans they each have separately for the holiday, nature has a different plan for the two of them.  Takes place after 3.09, "Marionette." Written because I can't leave them where they are. Totally Polivia. FINAL CHAPTER!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there. Unlike the Bad Robot people I couldn't leave our favorite couple in misery for the next several weeks.**

**So here's a new fic. If you want to read something totally P/O fluffy, this isn't it, but I offer you something realistic that I hope will hold you over more comfortably**

**until the TV series returns on January 21st. All mistakes are mine. I do NOT own anything related to Bad Robot, FOX , or Fringe.**

**If you want fast updates, please review. I'm busy too but I enjoy writing for you all as you know. I could get into daily updates if you ask for them.**

**This takes place four weeks after "Marionette."**

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 1

The air was getting heavier by the minute with the typical New England pre-snow dampness as Olivia Dunham and Peter Bishop moved away from the latest crime scene in Milton, the second in the last eight months. Unlike the last one there were no amnesic victims here, just two sets of cojoined dead people. The small office building reeked of a Newton-esque attempt to exchange it for one of theirs that got botched. Newton hadn't been heard from for awhile, and all at the Fringe Division feared he was still out there somewhere. Peter, Olivia, Astrid, Walter, and Broyles all assumed Walternate was whipping his people into sharpening their crossover skills with this latest exercise.

The work was done and the crime scene activity was winding down. After a brief , work-realted conversation Olivia and Peter said goodbye and headed to their respective vehicles parked side by side. Peter stopped and eyed Olivia as she unlocked her black SUV. He waited until she looked up and he had her attention. "Merry Christmas Eve, 'Livia," he boomed and gave her a sad smile that didn't make it to his eyes.

Olivia Dunham noticed and nodded toward Peter, returning a similar smile. "You too, Peter. Wish the same to Walter for me."

Peter Bishop nodded in reply, swallowing erratically. He turned toward the Vista Cruiser. Weeks ago he had envisioned a totally different Christmas for himself and for her. A happy Christmas with laughter and celebration and love. But thanks to the other Olivia that was all shot to hell, and it would be just he and the man he called 'father.' He looked forward to drowning himself in a huge amount of Walter's homemade eggnog later that day. A concoction Walter boasted last year contained a myriad of added chemicals for their enjoyment. Suddenly his ears picked up the repeated sound of Olivia's engine not turning over. _Fantastic,_ he mumbled under his breath.

Peter closed the driver's door and walked back over to Olivia, noticing the snow flurries picking up intensity. He could hear her gently swearing as he got closer.

"Pop the hood. I think it's your battery," Peter commanded her gently.

Olivia readily obeyed, hitting the hood release with her gloved hand. _Anything to get out of here faster,_ she said to herself. In 10 seconds Peter confirmed his diagnosis and stated the situation to her proudly.

"It's your battery. I'll drive you to get a new one. It's no big deal. I'm pretty sure Astrid and Walter haven't gotten back to Cambridge yet."

Olivia remained eerily quiet and just nodded her head. She followed Peter, who was carrying her dead battery, back to the station wagon. Peter set the battery on the floor behind him and jumped in. The Vista Cruiser started on the first try and they headed off onto the ramp for Route 95 South.

Peter broke the deathly silence. "There's gotta be an auto store off one of these exists."

"What happened to your GPS?" Olivia snapped back, noticing its absence from the dashboard.

"Walter accidentally broke it. Again. I-I haven't had a chance to fix it this week."

The silence returned engulfing them again. Olivia's stomach suddenly growled loudly enough that they could both hear it.

"When was the last time you ate?" Peter asked her emphatically.

"To be honest, I don't remember." She was tired. Too tired to play games with him. She knew where this was going but was too tired to come up with an answer that would lead elsewhere.

Peter laughed quietly. "That's what I thought. Let's go grab something to eat quickly, and then get you a new battery. You in the mood for anything in particular?"

"Food," she replied somewhat exasperatedly. All she wanted to do was go home and away from Peter Bishop. It had been 4 weeks since her return but she could still picture him periodically in various sexual positions with the other Olivia. Although it hurt less every day, it still dragged her mood downward.

"Understood. Quick it is." Peter increased the speed of the station wagon and concentrated on finding a decent restaurant.

Ten minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of a cute little silver diner just off the highway.

They both looked at the swirling snow as they got out, reflecting on how the weather people had gotten it wrong again. The snow was supposed to start that night after dark. Not present a viable threat before noon. And it wasn't just flurrying. The snow was flying thick and fast like in a proper wintry snowglobe. Peter held the diner's front door open for Olivia as he stared at the sky. Little did they know what was in store for them both in the hours ahead.

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	2. Chapter 2

**A huge thanks to all of you who took time to review, alert, and favorite this fic. That made my day. :)**

**Remember, I don't own anything, just borrowing. Pete Bouchard really is the chief meteorologist on Channel 7 in Boston, and there really was a winter storm**

**called the Blizzard of '78 that hit Massachusetts. (You may want to Google that.)**

**I'm going to continue to try my hardest to get new chapters up daily, IF, you continue to review!**

The More Things Change, The more They Stay The Same-Chapter 2

The contrast between the inside of the diner and outside was striking once they stepped inside. Peter noted that it was somewhat full for a Saturday noontime, especially for Christmas Eve. Most of the attention was on the TV perched above the bar. Peter noticed the Pats were playing at home, and understood the reason for all the patrons.

They found a clean booth and sat down across from each other. Despite the fact that it was fairly busy their waitress materialized quickly. She smiled at each of them and then looked back at Peter, trying to push the santa cap further back on her head. "Drinks?"

Peter gestured toward Olivia. "A seltzer with lemon, please," she told the waitress, her voice calmer.

The young waitress looked again towards Peter. "Dr. Pepper, please."

"OK. Be right back." The young woman sauntered off and the silence enveloped them again as they picked up the laminated menus. Olivia sighed. When he was sure she was buried in her menu Peter stole a glance at her. She looked stressed, and he was sure he was the reason for her frustration. Peter longed to hold one of her hands and reassure her, but he knew there was no way she would allow that. _What a mess,_ he thought to himself. He sighed and studied his menu.

Peter looked up when he heard Olivia throw her menu on the table. "I don't know what to get! What are _you_ getting?" she asked, her hands in the air.

"Uh, a double cheesburger and a chocolated malted shake. You wanna share some onion rings?Get something filling if you haven't eaten all day." He watched her fidgeting in her seat. _Low blood sugar,_ he thought to himself.

Olivia nodded and went back to studying her menu. The waitress reappeared with their drinks and took their order.

The food arrived surprisingly quickly and they both dug in. Peter looked over and grinned at the sight of her plate. There sat a full turkey dininer with all the trimmings. He noticed that she was shoving a third onion ring into her mouth and he had to stifle a laugh, until the sobering realization hit him. She was Over There during Thanksgiving. _This_ is the Thanksgiving meal she never got to have. Peter made a choking noise and Olivia's head jerked up.

"You OK?" she asked him watching him continuing to clear his throat. Peter shook his head. Satisfied he was recovering she returned to devouring her meal

They were both finishing up when someone yelled "Quiet! Quiet!" and the television's volume increased. "This is meteorologist Pete Bouchard with an imortant Channel 7 update on this developing storm. Our weather models have changed drastically in the last few hours and the most recent update from the National Weather Service is calling this a Nor'Easter. This storm has decided to hug the coast, and folks, this is the real McCoy here. Heavy blowing snow, upwards of 2 inches an hour is moving into the area. There may be whiteout conditions at some points later today and into tonight. If you still have Christmas preparations to make, people to check on, do it now. There could be ice mixed in with the snow and we could see significant power outages in the viewing area. A weather spotter near I95 South just called in to say it's snowing at the rate of 2 inches an hour in Canton right now, so the snow's just about here. We'll break shortly for an address by Governor Patrick who will declare a State of Emergency for Eastern Massachusetts. And I just got word that they are calling the Pats game, cancelling the rest of it and it will be rescheduled so those folks can get home.I'll have more for you on this storm after the station break."

There was alot of grumbling as the men around the bar started looking for their coats and settled their tabs. Peter and Olivia looked at each other in disbelief. 'They really called this one wrong, didn't they?" Peter stated.

"We should get going," Olivia told him, a look of concern on her face. Peter grabbed the bill on the table but Olivia put her hand on his arm. "Let me get this." Peter gave her a look. "You're helping me out, remember? We each would be home already if it weren't for my battery," she said accenting the last as though it was a bad word.

Reluctantly Peter lifted his hand and let her pick up the bill. He knew it would be unproductive to argue with her. And time was of the essence, as they now had weather to deal with in addition to finding a replacement battery. "You win this time, but I leave the tip."

Olivia gave him a small grin of victory as they headed toward the cashier. The cashier smiled at Peter while Olivia dug around in her bag for the right change.

"You know a decent place we can get a battery for a SUV around here?" Peter asked the woman.

"Next exit south there's a car repair place to the right. Just off the highway." The cashier's look shifted from Peter to Olivia. "But you two better be careful. It's supposed to get wicked bad out there."

Peter nodded to the woman as Olivia paid her. He opened the door for Olivia and followed her out of the diner. They gasped at the sight before them. Everything was covered in white. The cars that were on the street were moving slower than usual.

Peter sighed. He didn't really mind driving in snow. He had been born and raised in Massachusetts where snow in winter was usually a given. Anywhere from a few inches to 9 feet in a season was fair game. What he minded were whiteouts and icy roads. And according to Pete Bouchard they were coming. Walter's pictures of the famous Blizzard of '78 slipped into his mind and he shooed them away.

As if reading his thoughts Olivia spoke. "We should leave it, I guess. I can always get back to it later. Maybe we should just head back."

Peter contemplated on his feet. He really wanted to help her. Getting a battery and getting back to her SUV might win him some badly-needed bonus points. "It's just one exit south. Let's go see if they have your battery. Then we can head back to your place and I'll drop you off. That way when the snow stops, I'll pick you up and I can just put the battery in and help you dig your car out. Otherwise, you'll still have to go look for a battery later, which wouldn't be much fun if we get called into work."

Olivia shook her head taking in his words. "OK. One exit south. But if they don't have it we're heading back without one."

Peter started the Vista Cruiser and let the defroster run on full blast while he cleaned all the windows and mirrors. He was glad he'd left the ice scraper in the car since last winter. They left the parking lot and headed for the I 95 South entrance ramp hoping luck would be on their side.

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	3. Chapter 3

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The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same-Chapter 3

Peter noted that the visibility wasn't great, but he could see at least a half mile ahead, as he merged onto the interstate. They both noticed that there were very few cars on the road. Snow was flying madly into Peter's side of the windshield as he held onto the steering wheel with both hands. His passenger was quiet. He stole a quick glance at her and found her staring out the windshield, seemingly lost in thought.

A few bars from "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones sounded and made them both jump as Olivia dug her cell phone out of her pants pocket. _The Stones? Seriously? _Peter said to himself.

"Hello? Rachel? Yeah, the connection's lousy...I know.I should be on my way there but my car battery died. Peter's driving me to the closest car place to get a replacement...Yes, now! I'm sure she does. Put her on. Ella? Hi Baby Girl. Whatcha doin'? I promise I'll be there as soon as I can. OK? I love you too. See you soon. Bye." Olivia returned her phone to her pocket. Peter looked to her for an explanation.

"Rachel and Ella are at your place?" Peter asked, surprised.

"Yeah. They made the arrangements weeks ago. We 're supposed to do the family thing."

Peter suddenly realized that he wasn't invited to participate in anything holiday-ish with the Dunhams and the ever adorable Ella, and the thought made him sad.

Olivia felt his mood shift and felt the need to clarify. "They have to leave to go back on Tuesday already. Rachel was lucky to get any time off with her new job."

"I'm sure the three of you will make the most of the time you have," Peter said and meant it. His mind wandered back to the image of just he and Walter together the next day for the holiday.

The green exit sign appeared and Peter was suddenly anxious to get their mission over with.

"Finally. Let's find this splace and hope they can help us." Peter signaled and gingerly turned onto the exit ramp. Two blocks later they both saw the O'Brien's Auto Body sign on the right and breathed a sigh of relief. There were no other cars in the lot as they pulled up in front of the door. Peter shut off the engine and Olivia practically sprinted out of the car as he picked up her old battery off the floor behind the driver's seat. She held the door open for him as he had his hands full. The middle-aged man with 'Sean' on his name tag watched as they moved closer.

"You folks are lucky. I was gonna close up a half hour ago, being as it's a snowy Christmas Eve and all. What can I do for you?"

Peter set the battery on the counter. "We need another battery like this for a Ford SUV. You have this in stock? Her car's stuck near the Blue Hills Ski Area."

Sean looked at the numbers on the battery and grimmaced. "Not sure I do. If I don't my brother Ray probably has it. He's about 8 minutes down the road. Let me check in back." Sean disappeared leaving them in another uncomfortable silence. Olivia looked up and saw Peter looking at her. She gave him a little smile and then returned her attention to the items in the display case. Sean returned three minutes later.

"Sorry I don't have any in that line. We sell alot of those. Let me give Ray a call." Before Peter or Olivia could respond Sean punched a number into his cell. "Ray. I got a nice couple here looking for a Motorcraft S550. Lady's SUV is stuck in Milton. You have one? Great. Could you run it over? Right. Yeah I'll owe you. See you soon. Watch the ice. Bye."

Sean gave Peter and Olivia a smile. "My bother's right down the road. He should be here in a little while. Why don't you have a seat?" Sean gestured to the chairs. "I'm going to make us all a fresh pot of coffee."

Peter looked over at Olivia who appeared less antsy than before lunch, but she still looked like she was going to wear a hole in the rug from pacing. He nodded to Sean and sat down in one of the chairs. Fifteen minutes and two cups of coffee later, Ray burst into the store, loud and snow covered.

"Here you go, little brother." He turned to look at Peter and Olivia who moved closer. "You're lucky. Last one I had. One sixteen."

Sean quickly rang up the sale as Olivia held out her VISA. "I 'll need a receipt for my work."

"No problem," Sean replied handing her a slip to sign."

Ray watched the slender and attractive blonde sign the slip, then he looked at the young man next to her. "You two been married long?" he asked Peter.

Peter tried not to roll his eyes. "We're not married," he replied, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Oh. Beg your pardon," Ray said. "You two be careful heading to Milton. It's real bad out there."

Peter grabbed the new battery from the counter eager to leave. "We will. Thank you."

Olivia was already heading towards the door. She turned and smiled at the two O'Brien brothers. "Thank you," she said appreciatively. Peter held the door open for her and followed her out.

The Vista Cruiser was again buried. After Peter set the new battery down he began again the clearing process, but this time Olivia helped using just her gloved hands. As he made his away around the back of the station wagon he called to her. "You're gonna get wet hands. Get in, I'll do it."

Olivia obeyed, only because her hands were already wet and starting to get cold inside her gloves. Peter started the engine and they made their way back to the I 95 North entrance ramp. The car slid a little as they left the ramp and merged onto the highway. Both of them quickly noticed the weather had deteriorated while they were getting the battery, and Peter had to reduced speed.

Finally Peter felt the need to say something. "I guess you would object to finding a hotel at the next exit and riding this out? And I'm not saying that with any kind of agenda, 'Livia, but...we may not be able to get all the way back to Brighton." He tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. The last thing he needed to do was spook her.

Olivia was quiet for a few moments and Peter began to wonder if she'd heard him. Then she spoke softly. "Let's see how far we can get. At least we're moving in the right direction."

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	4. Chapter 4

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The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 4

Peter was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white as they drove past the exit. He was torn. A part of him wanted to get home after seeing Olivia safely home. Another part of him was screaming that he should get them off the road. Soon.

Suddenly, the precarious conditions seemed to worsen another two miles north. The savage wind shook the car and Peter had trouble keeping them pointed straight ahead, although they were still moving. He slowed down to almost a crawl and things seemed to improve for a little bit. _Where were the plows?_ Peter thought to himself. He had only seen one, and that was when they were exiting for lunch, almost an hour ago.

Olivia sensed the tension rolling off Peter and knew he was having a very tough time driving under the current conditions. She searched her mind for something comforting to say to him. "I missed this, moving here, there, and everywhere warm with my family-driving in snow. I never really even saw snow until I was in my 20's. But you, you're driving like a pro. Even in this."

Peter never took his eyes off the windshield. The station wagon dragged ahead around 15-20 miles per hour, trying to gain traction on the snow piling up in front of them. "I don't feel like a pro. This is bad, 'Livia. I've never seen it this bad, and I've been through a lot of Nor'Easters. These are blizzard conditions, I'm sure." Peter was quiet for a minute as the reality sunk in. "We should have gotten off at that last exit."

Olivia did not respond. She turned in her seat toward the back and looked around them. Everything was encased in white. It was snowing so hard it looked like the snow wasn't even moving. The tires started to spin and the Vista Cruiser struggled to move forward "Come on, come on," Peter groaned aloud. Peter shifted the wagon into the lowest gear to no avail. They stopped moving.

They were stuck, on Interstate 95 North. After many minutes and much swearing Peter was able to get them into the breakdown lane. Angrily, Peter smacked the flashers on and silently prayed for an approaching vehicle to come from behind and helpt them out.

The two of them sat there, no other noise than the gentle purr of the engine and the swish of the wipers. Olivia looked over at Peter, her eyes wide. "What do we-"

"We get out," he said emphatically, interrupting her. "Or we stay here in a warm car and eventually suffocate from carbon monxide poisoning."

Olivia blinked at his response. "But where will we go?"

Peter looked at her, his angry features softening a bit. "I'm not sure yet but there's got to be houses around here somewhere," he said as he reached for the pad of paper and pen lying on the back seat. He began to write.

"What are you doing?" Olivia asked him. She took some deeper breaths trying to stay calm.

"Writing my name and cell phone number. They can call me when they dig her out and I'll come move her. You happen to have a plastic bag on you?" He clicked the ballpoint pen shut.

Olivia reached for her backpack-style purse and removed a small zip-top bag. She handed it to Peter, watching his every move.

"Thanks." He gave her a small smile. "Well, we _do_ have one lucky break," he told her as he zipped up his note and looked at her.

"What's that?" Olivia asked him curiously.

"Snowshoes."

"Snowshoes?"

"In the back," Peter said as he climbed into the rear of the station wagon and retrieved two pairs of snowshoes and brought them closer to her.

" You have snow shoes in your car? I didn't know you were into that."

"Dr. Epstein on the first floor of the Kresge Building, the anatomy professor? He said he didn't need them anymore and gave them to Walter for he and I to use this winter. Wait 'til we get out to strap them on."

"Uh...I never-"

"Take along anything you think you'll need."

"OK," Olivia said, sticking her arms through the straps of her small backpack.

"I'm going to turn off the engine, and put this note on the outside after I lock it. Then I'll come around to you and help you get your snowshoes on. We should move quickly in case someone comes along and slides into us."

Olivia shook her head in understanding.

"Kay. On three. One. Two. THREE!" Peter turned the engine off and they both opened their respective doors into the wild outdoors. The snow relentlessly drove into their eyes as they stood up and closed the car doors with difficulty. Peter locked the Vista Cruiser and found a place for his note. Then he went behind the car, trying not to fall and joined Olivia at what he assumed was the edge of the road. They could barely see anything, the visibility was so bad. He bent down and managed to stap her black boots into the snowshoes, which were only slightly bigger than what she needed. Then he strapped his own on and reached for her hand.

"Let's head that way. There's not alot of light left. Hopefully there'll be a house nearby," Peter shouted so she could hear him as the wind whistled and shrieked. Olivia nodded. She slipped her gloved hand into his and attempted to move with the bulky shoes on. They both fell several times trying to coordinate the movements that would result in walking. Each helped the other like real teammates, and finally they headed east toward what they hoped was housing. Forty-five miserable minutes later, Peter's eye caught something.

"Straight ahead. There's a little light there," he shouted to Olivia. Peter tightened the grip of his gloved hand around hers and they picked up their pace.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Please don't think I ever take reviews for granted. A big thanks to all who reviewd the last chapter, and to those who have favorited this. Here's you reward. :)**

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**Finally, a respite form the storm. But they are stuck together somewhere, for who knows how long?**

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The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 5

Sheer will power made them move as quickly as they could the last several yards. As they got closer Peter and Olivia could see a small house sitting by itself in front of was a light on insde and a small day/nighter light above what appeared to be a small attatched garage. They stumbled to the front door and Peter struggled to move the numb digits of his right hand to ring the doorbell. They waited in the howling wind for some sign of life. Peter pushed the doorbell a second time but there was no movement or noise from within. No wagging dog tail nor small children. Nothing at all. Peter used both hands and banged on the door. "Hello!" he yelled. "Anyone home? Could you please help us? We need help!" Then they waited. Nothing.

Peter pulled the glove off his right hand with his teeth and extracted a black leather pouch from the back pocket of his jeans as Olivia looked on blowing on her hands. With one hand gloved and the other exposed he began picking the lock of the door.

"You carry your pick tools with you all the time?" Olivia exclaimed, surprised.

"Not _all_ the time, but aren't you glad I did today, 'Livia?" he asked a little exasperated.

About 30 seconds later the front door opened and they both sighed in relief. Peter pushed it opened and motioned Olivia inside. He followed after her. They both made loud, exaggerated movements with their snowshoes, dragging piles of snow onto the front mat with them. Simultaneously they bent down and extracted their feet from their snowshoes and lay them on the mat. There was more noise as they smacked snow off their bodies and shook snow from their hair. Clumsily they both removed their winter jackets and gloves and found doorknobs on which to hang their jackets.

Instinctively Olivia led the way into the house. It almost felt like entering a crime scene, and for a moment she entertained removing her gun from her backpack. It didn't take her long to realize the entire first floor was empty. She looked back to see Peter right on her heels watching her back and gave him a little smile. Then she shifted her attention to the stairway and motioned to him with her head. Together with Olivia again in the lead they ascended the stairway and checked all the rooms to find no people and no animals at home.

Peter looked over at Olivia and saw her starting to shake, her lips taking on a bluish tint. He could feel the cold seeping into his own body as well even though the atmosphere around them was considerably warmer than outside. He moved her out of one of the small bedrooms to where he assumed the master bathroom would be and found he was correct. He crossed in front of her and opened the shower curtain and turned on the water. Olivia just stood there watching him, shaking more than ever, her teeth beginning to chatter. When the water was tolerable Peter turned the knob so that a strong stream shout out of the showerhead. "We need to warm up. Don't worry, Dunham, no tricks." Peter didn't wait for any acknowledgement from her as he started to remove her sweater, and long -sleeved undershirt. Then he unzipped her black pants and removed them with difficulty with her socks and threw everything in a corner. He removed his shirts and his soaking wet jeans as quickly as possible and pushed Olivia closer to the tub urging her to step up.

They stood silently huddled together under the showerhead for a long while, enjoying the returning sensation of warmth. A quick memory of showering with the other Olivia flitted through his mind and he quickly shooed it away. This here was real. This meant something, even though it was 4 weeks after her rejection of him. Peter studied her face and noticed her full lips had returned to their normal color and he took a breath, shutting off the shower as the water started to cool. He reached out and handed her one of the huge bath towels he had spotted on his way in. Peter stepped out of the shower and spun around.

"I'm going to go look for some dry clothes." Olivia just nodded, moving slowly to dry herself as if in a daze.

Peter closed the bathroom door behind him and entered the largest of the bedrooms. He got lucky on the first try and found a drawer with men and women's underwear that looked to be similar in size to what they needed. He grabbed one of each and started opening other drawers. A few minutes later he had what he needed and returned to the bathroom. Olivia was standing there buried in the oversized towel. 'These will work for now while our clothes dry. I'll go see if there's a dryer we can throw them into. Thank goodness the electricty's still on." He handed her the clothes and left her alone.

After changing in one of the bedrooms, Peter went downstairs and found a small alcove that housed a stacking washer and dryer. He threw his own clothes in and pushed the start button. Hunger and thirst led him in serach of the kitchen and he quickly found it and the refridgerator. Peter opened the fridge and was surprise to see a fair amount of food inside, including 2 six-packs of beer. He removed one and twisted off the cap as he heard the soft sound of feet behind him.

"How about a drink?" he asked Olivia as he extended the open beer to her.

She stood there a moment thinking. "I could really use something stronger," she replied as she moved past him and started opening the cupboards.

"I could too actually," Peter said as he took a long pull on the beer, following her with his eyes.

There was the klink of glass and then she spun around. "Aha!" In her hand Olivia Dunham held a full bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey.

"Better," Peter said giving her a smile. He drank more of the beer as he watched her find two Southern Comfort-style glasses, and followed her into the living room. Olivia dropped onto the sofa and rolled her neck. Peter sat down in the love seat to her left.

"Yeah, you're gonna get stiff. That was alot for your first time on snowshoes."

"And falling," she added.

"And falling," he agreed. The silence enveloped them again as she poured two fingers into the two glasses and handed him one. He took it and studied her. She looked as exhausted as he felt. Her eyes locked on his but he couldn't read what lay behind them. After a few moments she looked away.

"I need to call Rachel. She must be worried. Walter must be also." Olivia set her glass down and went to get her cell phone out of her bag.

"Yeah, I'll call him," Peter said with frustration. He hated making Astrid have to babysit him for long periods of time, but there was no other option. Right now, they weren't going anywhere.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Several kind people left reviews, so here's another chapter. Thank you for all the continuing feedback. It makes my day. :)**

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The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 6

"As soon as the police or MassHighway lets Peter know the roads are cleared I promise I'll give you a call...I know she's disappointed. Tell her I'm so sorry. Yeah. OK. Bye." Olivia Dunham disconnected the call as she walked back into the living room. She thought she smelled an oven heating up and thought maybe Peter was in the kitchen cooking, but when she peeked in he wasn't there. He didn't seem to be anywhere. "Peter?" she yelled, starting to get a little nervous.

"Coming," he called from above her. Suddenly Peter appeared at the top of the stairway and moved quickly down the steps holding some papers in his hand.

Olivia moved to the base of the stairway and gave him a look. "Don't disappear like that, Peter!" Olivia yelled at him. "I thought maybe you were-"

"Hurt? I'm glad you still care about me, Dunham." He knew it was time to the subject. "Come here, I wanna show you something. I found out where we are and who owns this house."

"How did you-"

"They left their computer on. According to their email this house belongs to Bernie and Patty McLaughlin. And we don't have to worry about them coming back anytime soon."

"And why not" Olivia asked.

"They left yesterday for Key West and won't be back until January second." Peter couldn't help but give her a strange look. For some reason he couldn't pinpoint at that moment, he was happy about this dicovery. Maybe it was just knowing no one would be barging through the door giving them a hard time and calling the police, who wouldn't be able to physically get there and arrest them anyway. Whatever it was he suddenly found himself slightly giddy. As if on cue a beep sounded from the kitchen.

"What's that?"

"While you were calling Rachel I found us some dinner and turned on the oven. We're having pizza. Two, actually. They're small."

"Peter. We can't just pop into the McLaughlins' house and eat all of their food!"

"No, you're right. We'll just eat enough until I hear it's time to go get Walter's car," Peter told her opening the oven door, inserting the two small pizzas, and reclosing it. "And by the way the address here is 96 Neponset Road, Norwood. I'll start a list of all the stuff we use and we can send these people a note, a reimbursement check, and a long apology."

Olivia's brain was slowing a bit from the alcohol and all they'd been through, but she was able to calculate that they really weren't that many miles away from her SUV. Maybe like 12 miles on a normal day. _But this is no normal day, _she reminded herself.

Peter watched her for a reaction, and saw her stare off into the distance. "You OK, 'Livia?"

"Yeah, I just...think I should sit down." She turned away from him and sat down on the sofa.

Peter watched her sit, his brow furrowed. She'd been through so much lately. The doctors told him weeks ago she was having typical post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and here he was adding stress to her already stressed system. He mentally kicked himself for letting her talk him out of going to a motel. From now on in he would step back and think of what was right for her regardless of her opinions on things. "Let me get you some water. You probably got a little dehydrated out there." He found a bottle of spring water in the refridgerator, opened it, and handed it to her.

"Thanks," was all she managed to say. He sat next to her on the sofa and turned on the TV. There were dozens of channels and it didn't take Peter long to realize the McLaughlins' had a plush cable package. They sat there quietly as he surfed the channels until the timer sounded.

After they ate Peter and Olivia returned to the couch barely able to move from the stiffness setting in from their muscles. Peter kept rubbing the back of his neck and Olivia couldn't stand watching it any longer.

"Lie down," she told him.

"What?"

"Lie down. I'll message your neck. You look uncomfortable." She pushed his side with her hands and he obeyed setting his second beer on the coffee table. Peter positioned himself as flat as possible and Olivia worked the muscles of his neck with both hands."

Peter made appreciative sounds. "I didn't realize FBI agents had massage as part of their training."

"They don't. I just happen to be good at it." Peter's brain had all kinds of retorts lined up and he had to search for an appropriate reply.

"Apparently."

She worked on him for a good 10 minutes and then sat up. "Sorry. My arms got tired," she said somewhat embarassed.

Peter sat up and looked at her. "Remind me next time not to receive a massage from you after you've trudged through a blizzard for 45 minutes."

Olivia was about to reply when the lights flickered a couple times and then came back on.

"We're probably going to lose power," Peter said standing up and moving away.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"To look for some candles and batteries. And I'm going to light the wood stove too. You stay put."

Olivia didn't argue with Peter and instead stayed glued to the sofa. He returned sometime later with a handful of batteries, flashlights, candles, and matches. Peter set the items down and lit the wood stove as though he'd done it a thousand times before. Once he was satisfied it was working properly he sat down next to her, grabbed the remote, and changed the channel.

"Who are you, really, and what were you before? What did you do? And what did you think, huh?"

"Casablanca. There's a really good film," Olivia said half-asleep. "You've seen this, right?"

A prickly sensation of deja vu came over Peter and he was too slow to put his game face on. Unfortunately Olivia noticed. "You watched this with _her_ didn't you Peter? This was another thing you did with the _other_ Olivia!" Olivia's face reddened as she quickly got off the sofa. "I'm going up to bed." Without even waiting for a reply Olivia turned and walked across the room and up the stairs quickly.

Seconds later Peter heard the unmistakable sound of a door slamming. _Nothing's changed, _he thought sadly to himself as he changed the channel.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry you didn't get a new chapter last night. I had to reflect on what I wanted in this chapter. There are so many directions I could have gone!**

**Thanks again to all those who have supported this effort so far by reviewing, alerting, and favoriting. I cherish it all.**

**I onw nothing, you know.**

**Olivia finally gets to tell her whole story, and Peter hears it and reflects.**

**Please review if you'd like another update tomorrow!**

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same-Chapter 7

Peter lay on the uncomfortable sofa framed by the light from the wood stove staring upward for what seemed like forever. Thoughts flitted through his head like snowflakes as he tried to coax his brain into shutting down. Suddenly he heard a loud click and a couple of beeps and knew the power had gone off, as he had anticipated.

He didn't blame Olivia for being upset earlier. It had been four weeks since his life had turned upside down. At first he had memories of the other Olivia flash through his mind several times a day, but now they were fewer and farther between and usually associated with specific things, like showering, beds, certain songs, and Casablanca. Peter sighed. He needed to try harder. To train his thoughts away from what had been and focus on what is, what could be. He knew it didn't take a 190 IQ to know what really needed to happen here. She needed to be able to forgive him, and in order for her to be able to do that, she'd need to be able to pull back and see that they had both been victims of this horrible scam. Was 4 weeks enough time for her to be able to see things less subjectively? He really hoped so, although he knew his broken heart would wait much longer for her to come around if necessary. Much, much longer. _There's still a chance for us,_ he said to himself as his heavy eyelids finally closed.

Peter awakened and sat bolt upright at the loud and sudden 'snap' that sounded like it came from upstairs. He threw the blankets aside and clumsily ran across the room and up the stairs in the dark. He didn't know the second floor landscape well enough in the dark and used his hands to feel his way to the correct door. As he threw it open something smacked right into him and almost knocked him backwards.

"Umph. 'Livia? Are you OK?" he asked her taking a step back and collecting himself, his heart hammering.

"Sorry," she said rubbing her head. "I...had to get out of here. They, they were trying to-"

"Calm down," he told her putting his hands on her shoulders and realizing she wasn't fully awake.

"Calm down. It's OK. Now. That cracking noise. Do you know where you heard it? Was it inside or out?" He reached for the light switch on the wall and cursed himself for forgetting the power had gone out awhile ago.

"I think it was outside the window. I'm pretty sure." She stood there with his hands still on her shoulders trying to take deep calming breaths.

"OK. I'm just going to walk over to the window and see if one of the trees snapped and fell. You wanna stay here?" She shook her head. Peter could barely make out that it was a vertical shake.

"I'll be right back." Peter walked into the small bedroom and cautiously made his way over to the window, feeling with his feet for any cut glass. There was none and he breathed a sigh of relief and felt the window pane with his hands. It was intact and there was no cold air coming in. He looked out for a minute and could make out the outline of something dark and horizontal just outside the window, and the faint smell of pine. He walked back to the dark shape of Olivia.

"It's just a tree. One of the pine trees must've snapped from the weight of the snow just outside your window. Think you can go back to sleep? It's only like 2 o'clock in the morning."

Just then the wind picked up again and howled fiercly making a ghost-like sound.

"I think I'll come downstairs." Olivia walked back into the bedroom and grabbed one of the pillows off the bed. She returned to where she knew Peter was standing. She felt him take her hand in the dark and lead her back down the hallway and then down the stairs.

Olivia pulled her hand from his once they were on the first floor. It was much easier to see there as light flooded from the spacious wood stove. Peter moved away from her and went into the kitchen. She heard the sound of running water as she got settled on the sofa and pulled the blankets over herself. He returned moments later with an aluminum tea kettle that he set on top of the stove. When he turned toward her their eyes met and he held her gaze for a beat.

"Thought we could use some hot chocolate. I found packets of it in the cupboards last night."

"The power's out." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, and it might be out for awhile. I'm afraid this here may be our only heat source for who knows how long. Good thing it's fairly big and works really well. The cooktop is a nice bonus."

Olivia studied the wood stove with new-found appreciation. _We could be a lot worse off, _she thought to herself. The kettle whistled and Peter retrieved it and took it into the kitchen. Shortly after he brought out two mugs and handed her one. The warm liquid felt good going down and they sat next to each other on the sofa, the quiet engulfing them once again like an elephant in the room, until they had both emptied their mugs. Peter burrowed under the blankets and studied her in the limited light.

"You know, we've never had a chance for you to tell me what went on Over There."

"Peter, I-"

"'Livia. I really want to know everything that happened. And you need to tell someone. We've got time here until we both can get back to sleep. Please," he begged her, his voice cracking on the word. It grew quiet again and Peter wasn't sure she was going to reply. He knew that simple, quiet moments could be therapeutic also.

Olivia started to speak, her voice calm, her manner neutral. Peter leaned back against the end of the sofa and focused on her every word. She told him about everything that happened to her after Walternate's team grabbed her. About the needles, about them injecting her with the other Olivia's memories, about feeling like she was losing her mind. She told him about Henry the cab driver, and how she had initially threatened him to take her to the opera house only to watch it be encased in amber before her eyes. She told him about how she broke down in the gas station restroom, and Peter visibly swallowed at that. She told him about meeting her alternate's boss, Lincoln Lee, and about how it seemed to her there was more going on there than a simple work relationship. She told him how she remembered him kissing the other Olivia, and how she backed away. She told him about working with the other Charlie, about how she begged him to believe that she wasn't their Olivia and how he seemed to believe her to a degree. She told him about the alternate Broyles, about what she had done to help his son, and that if it hadn't been for him risking his job _and _his life she wouldn't be sitting here now.

She told him about the times his image had appeared to her, encouraging her, kissing her, confirming she wasn't their Olivia. She told him about the times she crossed over into the Liberty Island gift shop, and about the time she begged the cleaning lady to call him and deliver that message. She told him in detail about the coldness of his biological father, about the maps Brandon's alternate had drawn on her body so they knew exactly where to cut her up in the name of science. She told him about how she lay there sedated, as she heard their Brandon pick up the saw to end her life, and the sound of Broyle's voice at the last second. Her voice broke there and the tears started.

Peter Bishop's stomach started rolling shortly into her story. By the time she got to the end he felt like he was going to throw up. He pushed the nausea aside and moved to her, enveloping her in his arms, her sobs turning into wails of misery. "It's OK, 'Livia. You're here and alive now. They can't hurt you here."

They stayed like that for a very, very long time. Olivia finally settled down and Peter could hear her slow and rhythmic breathing on his shoulder. He eased her down onto the sofa and covered her with the blankets. When he was finished tucking her in he moved to the love seat and sat there watching her.

Peter couldn't even put into words the hatred he had for his real father. He realized just how close he had come to really losing her 4 weeks ago. Worst of all he felt helpless. He hadn't known so he hadn't crossed over to save her. And he hadn't helped her get back. She'd done it on her own. All he could do now was help her here, even if she never wanted him back. He vowed in that moment to give her all he could. Even to risk his life for hers if need be. The realization was sobering and yet comforting.

He closed his eyes and pulled the blankets up to his neck, willing sleep to envelop him.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Back with another chapter. Thanks to all of you who are sticking with this story despite the busy times.**

**I would love to get this done by Christmas-we'll have to see if that's possible.**

**This chapter is dedicated to loneguppy who was upset that I didn't mention Frank in Olivia's recall Over There. Thanks for pointing that out, lg. :)**

**I own nothing. If you want more sooner this week than later, please review!**

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 8

The smell of breakfast food hit her nostrils. When she was able to identify pancakes, eggs, sausage, and coffee Olivia Dunham opened her eyes. It took her a moment to figure out where she was, but in the subdued lighting the man's back to her only feet away solved the puzzle. Her first thought was that he really did have a great ass. Her second thought was how endearing it was that he was making breakfast for the two of them on the wood stove cooktop. Her feet had a mind of their own and before she knew it she was standing quite close behind him. Closely enough that she could smell his unique scent. As she took in his delicious aroma her thoughts flew back to the hours before. She'd told him everything she could think of at the moment regarding what had happened to her Over There. And he had truly listened, and she knew he'd been effected by it, his constant swallowing was a strong tell he could never hide from her. She felt different this morning and couldn't quite put her finger on the why of it. _You got it off your shoulders,_ her brain told her quickly. _Now, what were Astrid's words?_Olivia was trying to remember something she was sure was very important when Peter turned around, his breath catching in his throat at the shock of her in such close proximity.

"You scared me." Peter took a moment to scan her face and apparently liked what he saw. "Merry Christmas, 'Livia." He gave her a smile. It didn't quite make it all the way to his eyes, but it was close.

"Merry Christmas, Peter," she said gently, rubbing her cold shoulders. It was then she noticed that the temperature had dropped a bit since they had gone to sleep hours ago.

Peter sighed. "Not at all what I had envisioned as Christmas with you but...here we are." He looked at her and then dragged his eyes away, but not before Olivia caught the sadness in them. She didn't want to fight with him anymore, didn't want to think about her disappointment anymore. Especially not on Christmas Day.

"You made a special Christmas breakfast?" she asked him changing the subject. Olivia watched hm flip the pancakes one more time and then start to remove everything to a large platter.

"Well, even though the snow hasn't ended yet I think we need to get out there and start clearing some. I heard a snowblower in the distance a bit ago and that's a good sign, that people are attempting to _start_ to remove it. There must be close to 3 feet out there. And for that kind of hard work, one needs a good breakfast." He walked with the platter to the kitchen table. She could see it was set attractively for two, and there were 2 glasses of orange juice as well. He gestured for her to sit down.

Peter filled up a plate for Olivia and passed it to her as she thanked him. Then he filled his own plate and they dug in, making casual conversation as they ate. When Peter had almost cleared his plate he felt the burning need to ask her. He set his fork down and rubbed his lip with his finger, another of his nervous tells. "Who's Frank, 'Livia?"

"Wha-"

"You didn't mention him last night when you recounted what happened to you Over There. But in your sleep you specifically said "Don't bring home any more avocados, Frank. Too expensive."

Olivia watched Peter's face, recognizing jealousy in his strong features. She rather liked the look and what it meant but she wouldn't let him know it. Olivia forced the smile away that was trying to form on her lips. "Frank Stanton. The other Olivia's boyfriend. He's a virologist for the CDC, specializes in smallpox and other diseases."

Peter stayed quiet and unmoving and Olivia knew he was waiting for her to continue.

"Seemed like a nice guy. Seems to really care about her. They live together, and he does the cleaning and the cooking as well." Her eyes lit up at this and Peter's face fell a bit. "Apparently he spoils her once in awhile by buying hard to find foods, bringing them home, and sticking them in the salad."

"Did you and he..."

"I didn't have that much interaction with him. There was a smallpox outbreak in Texas and he got called away suddenly."

"Smallpox? Really?

"Yeah," Olivia said taking the last bite of her food. Peter sat quietly, reflecting.

"Well, I guess he didn't make that much of an impression since you didn't even mention him last night."

Olivia looked at Peter. Was he looking for absolution? Trying to discern that if she slept with Frank it would be even Steven and get him off the hook? The thought annoyed her. She was about to say something when the Rolling Stones started singing in the living room. Olivia got up and took the call.

Peter was annoyed their conversation had been interrupted. He got busy cleaning up their dishes, trying not to look like he was listening to her.

"Merry Christmas, Rach. Yeah, Peter, said there's like 3 feet here in Norwood. Put her on please, I'll try to explain. Hey, Baby Girl. I'm so sorry I can't be with you and your mom right now. Peter and I are kind of stuck, but we'll get out of it. It just takes time you know? You still have electricity? Boy, are you lucky. Hey, listen. I need to go so I can save my cell phone power. Ella, I promise I'll spend time with you as soon as I can get back there. That's up to you whether you want to open anything now or wait. Yeah, you can open one. Tell her I said it's alright. I love you too. Yes, I'll call you when I'm coming back. 'Bye." Olivia reluctantly ended the call.

Peter could feel her angst yards away. It seemed unfair that Olivia couldn't be with her sister and only niece on Christmas Day. He knew Walter would be disappointed that he wasn't there in Cambridge this morning as well. Peter let out a heavy sigh.

Olivia walked into the kitchen and stood next to him at the kitchen sink. "You're going to have to call him soon, you know," she said, seeming to know what he was thinking. Peter just shook his head.

* * *

It was pretty comical when they opened the front door. The way out was blocked by a wall of snow. They both took pictures of it with their cell phones.

"Well, here goes nothing," Peter said as he pushed into the wall trying to shovel the higher stuff into the air and away from the entryway. Olivia laughed at his ministrations. What else could they do? They both knew it would take awhile to get the snow cleared away.

Three hours later Peter and Olivia were feeling as though they'd achieved something. The front path was cleared, and they had made a path in front of the small garage. They also made a fairly wide path away from the house and towards the highway from where they had snowshoed what seemed a lifetime ago. They had spotted a snow blower in the garage but decided not to use it in case someone passing by might know the McLaughlins were away. Looking around they realized how isolated they were. Although there was a small road behind the house it seemed to lead into nothingness in both directions.

Olivia didn't take her cell out of her pocket to look but she knew they had been working for hours and she was getting a bit thirsty. She spotted Peter yards away shaking snow off some of the smaller pines in the front yard. A devilish idea hit her and she smiled to herself, putting down the awkward shovel and picking up a bit of snow that she modeled into a fine snowball. The idea of hitting Peter Bishop with snowballs was growing more appeaing by the minute.

Thwap! She hit Peter squarely on the back of the head. He turned around and glared at her. "Knock it off, Dunham," he practically growled at her. He turned back to his clearing efforts when he felt the sting of the second snowball in the center of his back. He turned around a second time and gave her a look.

"OK, you wanna play, Agent Dunham? Let's play!" Peter bent down and picked up some snow and made a proper snowball. He threw it and it landed in her hair. She pretended to be mad, playful adrenaline pumping through her system.

"That's it. This means war, Bishop!" Like two grown kids they threw themselves into the effort, pummeling each other with snowballs, hitting their target sometimes and missing others. A long time later, they were both getting stiff and slowing down when Olivia didn't notice Peter sneak up behind her. He threw her into the moderate snow cover on the ground and pinned her down.

"Gotcha! I win," Peter declared proudly. Olivia laughed at his boyish enthusiasm. Their faces were very close, and Olivia stopped laughing as they looked into each others eyes. Before she even knew what was happening their lips touched in a gentle kiss. They wouldn't be able to recall later who opened their lips first but the kiss grew more passionate and went on until they had to break for air.

" 'Livia," was all Peter could manage to whisper, winded, when they pulled to just inches away from each other. She was about to reply when Peter's cell phone buzzed loudly.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry I didn't update earlier. I got a nasty cold that's making this week tough.**

**I think I can wrap this up in one or two more chapters at the most. Thanks to everyone for continuing to follow this. You know I don't own a thing!**

**This is a shorter chapter, but you'll see in the next one why I ended it here.**

**Please, please review. I will try to get this done in the next few days. Your reviews may be the best medicine. :)**

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 9

Peter Bishop barely glanced at his phone, expelled an abrupt breath, and moved off Olivia Dunham to stand nearby.

"This better be good, Walter. Yes, you were indeed interrupting. No, how many times have I told you it's none of your business what we're doing. No, Walter, we weren't-. I haven't heard a word yet. It's still snowing although less hard. I thought you might be the state police calling me to move the car. Yes, of course I'll let you know when we get moving again, but it might not be until tomorrow. Have you opened the door, Walter? There's almost 3 feet of new snow in less than 24 hours. I'm glad she's letting you free in the kitchen. OK. Yes. If you can't wait for me go ahead and open them. Bye."

Peter sighed and replaced his phone in his jeans pocket and looked up. Olivia was nowhere to be found. _Crap,_ he said to himself. They never got a break. _But that kiss..._Peter let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He grabbed up the two shovels and headed toward the front door.

* * *

After a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and more hot chocolate they went their separate ways in the house. Olivia stood in front of the bathroom sink on the second floor, her flashlight precariously perched so as to give her enough light to attempt a basin bath. Peter had heated up some water and carried it up and filled the sink just minutes ago. She had her clothes and towel handy so as to minimize the chill factor, as the second floor was significantly cooler now than the first. But her mind wasn't on the task at hand. She was thinking back on them playing in the snow, enjoying themselves, working off their mutual frustration. _And that kiss. _Olivia's mind wandered and suddenly she could hear Astrid's words from that day in the Federal Building's snack room. "Whatever feelings that Peter had, they were not about her. They were about you. And they were real. They still are."

Olivia was struck by a new idea as she peered at herself in the low lighting in the mirror. _Peter's feelings were for me. He was a victim also. He thought he had me and then he lost me...Peter..._The tears started and they ran down her face and fell into the warm water. _I need to let him know..._

_

* * *

_

As they finished their late Christmas dinner of hamburgers and pan-fried French fries by the light of the wood stove, the realization hit both of them that they would not see their respective relatives at all that Christmas Day. The thought came and went in Olivia's mind, to be replaced by the concept that had plagued her all afternoon. She needed to tell him she understood now. More importantly, she needed to let him know she forgave him. But Olivia had never been a good communicator when it came to matters of the heart. She sat there quietly as Peter gathered up their plates, fidgeting with her hands.

"You alright, 'Livia?" Peter asked her, seeing her actively engaged in one of her nervous tells.

"I'm fine," she lied. "Put those away and come sit down."

By the time Peter sat down on the sofa near her she lost her nerve. Her eyes traveled around the dimly lit room. "Let's play a game. We used to always play board games on Christmas." Her eyes landed on an old version of Monopoly on one of the shelves. "How about Monopoly?"

Peter gave a little laugh knowing she was putting off what was bothering her. "OK, but no cheating."

"Promise. You can even be the banker."

Two hours later Peter had loaded the board with as many hotels as would fit, and Olivia knew she was a goner. "OK. I'm out of money thanks to you. You win. I don't suppose you'd take a check?"

"No way, Dunham," Peter said as he raked all her cash towards him. "And I'll have you notice I won fair and square. No conning necessary."

"Uhuh. Guess I should go to bed. Good night, Peter. You should hear something tomorrow morning I'm thinking-from the State Police."

Peter stood up following her lead, desperately hoping she'd get to what she wanted to say, but she headed towards the stairs. Instinctively he took a step forward but stopped himself, reminding himself he wasn't allowed in her personal space unless she invited him there. "Maybe," he replied, his hands in his sweat pant pockets.

Olivia spun around at the banister and faced him, giving him a little smile. "Thanks for making this weird Christmas...tolerable."

"Same to you," he said with the same sad smile as earlier. She nodded and disappeared with her flashlight up the stairs.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Merry Christmas to all of you reading this. I hope that this chapter makes your day even more special.**

**Rating has changed to 'T.' I own nothing. Probably one more chapter after this will wrap things up.**

**Please review. It's one of the best presents EVER!**

**Olivia Dunham tells Peter Bishop what she has recently come to realize.**

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 10

Peter lay there on the sofa, cold and lonely, watching the flickering light from the wood stove on things around him. He thought about how sad it was that they had gotten to this point. Only weeks ago he dared to imagine what a holiday such as Christmas might be like while being so in love with Olivia Dunham. And now thanks to his most major screw-up, he knew. It hurt. Loving someone who didn't let you in. He knew in his unique case it was even worse. The other Olivia _had_ let him in and it was bliss. But it wasn't her and as a result it was all taken cruelly away from him. And to be honest she was the last person on earth he thought would totally hold it against him. How come she couldn't see that he was as much of a victim in that most inhumane con as she was?

"'Livia," he whispered into the living room. Minutes later he fell asleep with the wetness of his tears still palpable on his face.

Olivia didn't have a clue what time it was. She only knew she couldn't sleep. She couldn't get warm, no matter how many layers of Mrs. McLaughlin's tops she wore. Finally with a mild swear she threw the covers back and got up. There was only one place to go for warmth. She told herself she was only going there to get warmer, but her brain wasn't buying it. She felt around for her flashlight and held it firmly as she took the few steps and quietly opened the bedroom door. All she could hear as she made her way down the stairs were the noises from the stove and possibly Peter's breathing.

Things looked differently though as she moved closer. It was then she noticed the full-sized air mattress near the stove, several blankets on top of it and Peter underneath those clutching them tightly. Her goal was to move in there quietly without waking him which she feared was folly, but she just...wanted to get warm..._and be near him you know you want to,_ her brain told her. As she pressed a hand on the air mattress she stumbled a little and Peter's eyes shot open. It took him a second to figure out what was going on. "'Livia, you OK?" he asked her concernedly.

She decided honesty was the best policy. "I was cold, so I decided to come down here. I'm really sorry I woke you, Peter. I stumbled a little-"

"S'OK," he said quickly, pleasantly surprised by this sudden change of events. To have her close to him even just to get warm was fine with him, he reasoned, as he moved over to give her more room. As Olivia got next to him and replaced the covers Peter made the rest of the way to the state of wakefulness. He longed to put his arm around her and considered for a moment the consequences of doing such. He decided to use humor to diffuse his sudden anxiousness. "Maybe one of us should tell the other a bedtime story?" he offered with a laugh.

Olivia cleared her throat and decided it was time to tell him, as scary as it felt. "Peter. I need you to tell me something. Last night you asked me to tell you everything about Over There, and you listened to me. I want you to do that for me now. Would you please tell me about everything after the 3 of you got back, from your point of view?"

Peter sat up a bit and gave her a look. "Olivia. I don't know if it's such a good idea to-"

"These last four weeks I was only looking at everything from my point of view, but you were duped also, Peter, and I want to hear how you reacted to it all."

He stared at her for a moment a gave a great sigh.

"Please," she begged him with the same look she had given him in the lower level of Massive Dynamic after Jacksonville, and the same look she gave him in that apartment in another universe what felt like a lifetime ago.

"OK," he said resignedly, hoping that telling her wouldn't turn out badly. Peter lay back down. He told her everything he could think of regarding the last 4 weeks. He told her about Astrid offering him 3 pieces of pie the night they got back. He told her about how the other Olivia was quiet on the trip home, and how all he thought about was Olivia during the debriefing in Washington. He told her about kissing the other Olivia who he thought was her on the steps as soon as he got out. He told her about going out for drinks with her 3 nights after they got back and retold how the other Olivia said meeting another Olivia Dunham had given her a different outlook on her life, appreciating things more. He told her how he stupidly thought she was talking about him. He told her about how she had asked him to dance, about how the Other Side hadn't felt real but she did. He told her about showing up unannounced at her apartment to vent about how easy it would have been to make up with Walter but he wasn't ready to, and about how that picture of him with fire coming out of his eyes drove him crazy with fear. He told her about how she distracted him with kisses on the couch and how they were interrupted by their cell phones. He told her about the case with the box and its ability to kill people who opened it, and about how the other Olivia had pushed him off the rails to save him from an oncoming train he couldn't hear. After some more breaths he told her about having dinner with the other Olivia and hinting that they would take it to the next level. He told her about the unexpected text he'd gotten the next night that she wanted to talk. He told her about how when he got there she said she'd lied, that she didn't want to talk.

While watching her eyes he told her about how the other Olivia had made the first move towards sleeping together, and how they were together frequently after that. He told her about the conversation he had with her at Massive Dynamic concerning the small changes he noticed in her. And he told her about that cruel night when he got the phone call from the cleaning lady from the Liberty Island gift shop while he was lying next to the other Olivia, and how that phone call had changed everything.

Somewhere between that point and when Peter told her he didn't believe the other Olivia when she'd said her assignment had grown into something more while handcuffed, Olivia put her hand on Peter's face. It was then that he noticed the tears running down her face and he grabbed her arm as he started to cry also.

"Peter," she whispered. "She did this to both of us. I realize now that what you felt... It was for me. Not for the other Olivia who you didn't know." Peter shook his head in acknowledgement.

"You know I never would have-"

"I know," Olivia cut him off, her other hand moved to the other side of his face and they stayed like that. "I...I forgive you, Peter."

Peter watched her, his eyes widening and turning the deepest blue. He leaned in and their lips touched gently. They could taste each other's tears as the kiss continued into something deeper. Then Peter broke the kiss and pulled back. "You have _no idea_ what that means to me to hear you say that 'Livia."

Olivia leaned in and took another taste of his lips. He was warm and yielding and full of love for her. _For me,_she reminded herself. She pushed herself against him and touched his side, her hand landing on warm skin as his shirt had ridden up. Peter jerked a little at the sheer bliss of her hand against his skin. She opened her mouth to him and he hastily explored it with his tongue as she moaned. He was pretty sure he knew what she wanted as he wanted it oh so badly, but he had to be sure.

Peter pulled back for the second time and looked at her, his breathing rough. "Are you sure, Olivia? With _me_?"

She gave a sad smile when his voice cracked on the last word. "Yes, you. You didn't know. She conned you. She conned us. She took what we are to each other and used it against us. That's not your fault. I forgive you. I-"

His lips were on hers again, but more forcefully. He was pretty sure he knew what she was going to say next but he wasn't quite ready to hear those words from her lips just yet. Peter decided he'd show her rather than tell her what she meant to him.

They undressed each other quickly, anxious to feel the lusciousness of skin on skin. He let her choose whatever she wanted, and was relieved when she let him move her to be under him. Their union was slow and beautiful, their eyes locked on each other. They set a rhythm and fairly quicly went over that plateau together and did not pull apart on the way back down.

Once it became necessary for them to separate, he held her flush against him, their body heat keeping each other warm. He stroked her hair as she fell into blissful sleep. When Peter was sure she was sleeping he whispered against her hair, "Merry Christmas, Olivia. I love you."

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	11. Chapter 11

**Wow! It's hard to believe this is the last chapter. I want again to thank EVERYONE who took the time to not only read this, but review, alert, and favorite this fic.**

**I received an amazing amount of reviews and I can't tell you how much that means to me-THANK YOU SO MUCH! :)**

**It was a pleasure writing this for you. I hope you found it as carthartic as I did. All you P/O shippers keep the faith, OK?**

**I own nothing. And I hear a New Year's story calling. Keep your fingers crossed...**

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same-Chapter 11

There was the sudden sound of clicking and then a little beep from somewhere off in the distance. Peter Bishop only opened one eye to check for imminent danger. When he was sure there wasn't any he realized what had happened. The power was back on. He became aware of soft breathing next to him and the feel of her still naked body curled into him, soft, fragrant hair against his face.. _'Livia,_ his mind told him softly. Somehow he knew it was still quite early. He concentrated on her steady breathing and closed his eyes once more.

* * *

Daylight from the east flooded through the window and hit him in the eye. Peter didn't want to wake her, but he needed to move a little bit. He removed his arm from around Olivia and moved the pressure off his right hip onto his back. She stirred as a result and opened her eyes. Olivia looked at him, unfocused, and he could tell the second she remembered. Her eyes widened and she smiled brightly. He knew he would kill for that smile. "Morning," Olivia said to him gently, tightening her hold on him.

"Morning," Peter answered her, his eyes shining like two blue marbles. He kissed her forehead.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming."

"You're not. This is real, 'Livia." She put her forehead against his and released a breath.

Peter brought up a hand and stroked her cheek. "I'd really like to make love to you again, but I have this feeling we need to get up and fix up the place..."

"Promise me we'll get back to this soon?"

His head was already shaking in the affirmative. "As soon as possible. I promise you." She leaned in the remaining millimeters and gave him a gentle kiss.

* * *

Peter was taking the freshly-washed dishes out of the dishwasher when his cell phone rang in his pocket. He looked at the display and hurried to answer. "This is Peter Bishop."

"This is Sergeant Mitchell of the Massachusetts State Police, Mr. Bishop. We just got to your car and retrieved your note. We ran your plate and saw you're a Boston FBI consultant. If you give me you're 20 I'll send a cruiser to pick you up and bring you to your car."

"I'd really appreciate that Sergeant. Otherwise we'd be snowshoeing it back to the highway."

"In this?" Peter could hear the man chuckle. "What's your 20?"

Peter gave him a location along the road in front of the house. He purposely didn't give him the house address in case he knew the McLaughlins' were away.

"See you in 20-30 minutes Mr. Bishop."

Peter set the sealed envelope in the middle of the dining table in the kitchen. "I think that's everything. You ready?"

Olivia shook her head. She lifted her backpack and walked to the front door. As she lifted her winter coat and put it on she gave the first floor one more glance. "I'll remember this place."

"Yes, we'll remember it," Peter said as he too put on his winter coat and scooped up the two pairs of snowshoes. Peter opened the front door and set the snowshoes on the ground just outside in the eight new inches of snow. He motioned for her to step into her pair. Peter closed and locked the door behind them and double checked that hers were secure before stepping into his. Carefully they moved around the house and headed for the road.

* * *

Ella squealed when she heard the doorbell and danced around. Rachel moved quickly to undo the locks. She opened the door to a kneeling Olivia with Peter right behind her. Ella ran straight into her waiting arms. "Oh! Merry Belated Christmas, Baby girl!" she exclaimed. "You feel so good."

"Come on in you two. It's about time you got here." Rachel closed the door behind them. "Nothing like extending the holiday."

Olivia stood up and faced her sister. "I'm so sorry, Rach."

"Don't worry about it. There was nothing you could do. But, you're here now. What can I get you?"

"I could really use a warm shower," Olivia said without thinking. They weren't planning on telling anyone the _real _story of where they were. She glanced over at Peter who shot a look at her.

Rachel laughed. "OK, not what I thought your first request would be,"she said as she eyed her sister and Peter suspiciously.

"But Uncle Peter and Aunt Liv," Ella interrupted. "We have to open the presents. They've been sitting there like forever!" She pulled Peter with one hand and Olivia with the other across the room.

"OK. I guess we're opening presents first," Olivia relented. Peter fidgeted knowing originally he was not to be a part of this celebration.

"I guess I'll get going. I need to relieve poor Astrid of her babysitting duties. I'll call you 'Livia when I'm going to go put the battery in your SUV..." He started to turn towards the door.

"Give me a minute, OK?" Olivia said to her niece and sister. She followed Peter to the door.

"You can stay if you want to, but I don't have a gift to give you right now." She lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Hey," Peter said lifting her chin with his finger. "You've already given me the best gift of all. Forgiveness." Not caring about her family only yards away Peter leaned in a gave her a passionate kiss. They both knew they weren't home-free, but they had crossed a huge hurdle together. Even though they had both changed as a result of the other Olivia's grand deception, in some aspects they were still the same, and they knew they would tackle the future head-on, together.

THE END

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